Thomas Reisgies, who invested in a photovoltaic system and a large energy storage unit, is facing significant problems. Despite an investment of nearly half a million euros, he cannot use the generated electricity because the system is frequently regulated by the grid operator N-Ergie. This is done to prevent overloading the power grids.
“On time, like yesterday, just before nine, we were shut down again,” Reisgies reports. The energy storage unit, which has a capacity of 220 kilowatt-hours, often remains empty, even though it could supply power to his metal processing business during the night shift three times. The grid operator explains that the generated electricity often cannot be transported, leading to the curtailment of the systems.
For Reisgies, it is incomprehensible that the self-generated electricity cannot flow directly into his storage. “The madness is that we are not even allowed to use our own produced electricity,” he says. Instead, he has to purchase expensive external electricity, which jeopardizes the profitability of his company.
Although Reisgies receives compensation for the shutdowns, the additional electricity costs do not offset this. Ultimately, customers have to bear the higher costs, which could lead to a loss of orders and poorer machine utilization. This could even result in shifts having to be canceled.
